


The Red Riding Hood

by galaxysilver



Category: Noblesse (Manhwa)
Genre: M-21 is a fluffy boi and Raizel is interested, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:33:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28484667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxysilver/pseuds/galaxysilver
Summary: The Red Riding Hood stumbles upon a wolf in his friend’s house.
Relationships: Cadis Etrama Di Raizel/M-21
Comments: 8
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Rating might be subject to change and more warnings might be added in the future, if necessary.
> 
> I’ll probably regret posting this now especially since this is going to be a multichaptered fanfic (you know how bad I am with writing it and scheduling *glances at False Spirea*), so sorry if there are mistakes and repetitiveness here and there, I tried :”U

The sky’s turning dark. Dark clouds are gathering, blocking the sunlight that tries its best to make it through between the gaps. The wind is going hard; it’s enough to blow away wet clothes drying outside. The sound of thunder rumbling is already heard from afar.

Raizel tightens his grasp on the red hood over his shoulders. He glances at his surrounding and adjusts the basket of food and drinks he’s carrying on his arm, then makes a mental note.

He has to arrive at Frankenstein’s house before the rain pours.

And that might be a challenge, because his house is not even in the city; it is in the middle of the forest in front of him. Well, not exactly in the middle, but still, it takes 30-minute walk to arrive there from the town gate. An hour if Raizel’s being lazy.

The man often wonders why would his friend choose a not-so-strategic place far away from the city to build his house. Frankenstein is a skilled and recognized doctor, even among fellow doctors and medical workers in the town. With his reputation and wealth, he could just buy a house in the heart of the capital, yet he picked the woods, where there are spread dangers of wild animals.

A few drops of water on the cheeks snaps Raizel out of his pondering. He looks up at the grayish sky, then hurries his pace. He can’t run since he’s afraid he might make the stuff in his basket falls.

Raizel slows down when he’s about 20 meters from the slightly open entrance door of Frankenstein’s house. His pair of ruby eyes widen when he sees clear traces of blood from the woods to the door. Without much immediate thought except that Frankenstein might be hurt, Raizel bolts and pushes the door wide open. With hand on his sword’s hilt, he runs through the guest room to wherever the traces lead him. They end in a bedroom, and the trails stop next to one of the beds there.

With someone covered under the blanket.

“Frankenstein?” Raizel steps carefully closer, not hiding the worry in his tone. No answer from the person on the bed. Raizel is about to uncover the blanket when a thought crosses his mind.

The man unsheathes his sword and tugs away the blanket with the blade.

Raizel holds his breath for a second.

A wolf.

There’s a wolf on the bed.

The human-shaped wolf with wolf ears and tail, to be precise.

Raizel can’t believe what he is seeing. Some _thing_ this dangerous, in Frankenstein’s house? Then where’s Franken—

Raizel quickly raises his sword and blocks the claws that are about to slash his very face, then barely parries the second attack to his side.

If Raizel’s reflexes aren’t good, the wolf’s claws that took him by surprise would have buried themselves in his face and stomach. He takes a deep breath. Raizel takes a fighting stance, swinging his sword slightly. The man expects more attacks and now he’s ready for it.

Yet the wolf steps back.

Still, he focuses at the growling wolf in case there will be a surprise attack. Now that the distance between them is bigger, Raizel can see the wolf better. He’s wearing unzipped green jacket baring his chest with fur on the hood and three-quarter pants that are torn on the hem. But one of the things that take his attention the most is the wolf’s face. Gray hair framing his pale yet currently angry face, the fury in his eyes which color matches that is of his hairs’, the scar on his lips…

The other thing is the wolf’s leg that’s trembling and bleeding through the loose bandages.

“You’re injured,” says Raizel, his eyes are on the torn wounds slowly revealed as the bandages open. Does that mean Frankenstein’s taking care of this wolf? But why? Raizel and people in the town all know that wolves are dangerous predators. They hunt animals and unfortunate people passing by the woods. Why would Frankenstein take care of a wolf?

The wolf bares his fangs.

Raizel doesn’t know if human-shaped wolves understand human language and are able to speak or not, but… “Why are you here? Is Frankenstein taking care of you?”

“Who the hell even are you?” The wolf does speak.

“…I should be the one asking that. Why is a wolf even in his house?”

“None of your business!” The wolf dashes to Raizel but he tripped over nothing and falls. He groans in pain as he holds his bleeding leg.

This is it. This should have been a moment when Raizel ends this wolf’s life, so there will be less danger around the woods and especially Frankenstein’s house … but his gut feeling says that he shouldn’t do that.

The wolf shakily gets up on all four when Raizel raises his chin with the end of his blade, “Answer me.”

He waits until the wolf pays full attention to him before he continues, “Is Frankenstein taking care of you? Where is he now?”

The wolf must feel the futility to try to go against a fit man with a sword in his condition because he doesn’t fight back—except when he swats away Raizel’s sword.

“…Yeah,” The wolf answers as he struggles to stand. He squints at his leg when it hurts even more and he grimaced.

“I don’t know where he is now.”

Raizel raises an eyebrow.

“He went outside in a hurry, okay?” The wolf quickly added, seeing the distrust in the man’s face. “I didn’t hurt him or anything!”

Well, Raizel also thinks it’s almost impossible for a wolf with injured leg to hurt Frankenstein. Besides, Frankenstein allowed this wolf in his house, meaning that either he knows him personally or the doctor deems the wolf harmless enough to remain docile. The hooded man also notices that the injuries on the wolf’s leg doesn’t seem it was caused by a gunshot, so it might not be Frankenstein who attacked him. Raizel sheathes his sword to the wolf’s surprise.

“I don’t think you’re lying,” says Raizel as the wolf stares in disbelief. A glint of alertness is still present, but Raizel has no plan to fight him further. As he said no more words, he walks back to the entrance. It is when he walks into the pouring rain that he stumbles upon a blond, tall man.

The wolf peeks over the door frame. “Frankenstein!”

“Frankenstein, where have you been?” Raizel retreats to give Frankenstein the way. “Why did you leave the door open?”

“Oh!” Azur eyes widen for a second, then Frankenstein closes the door this time. His eyes stop at the blood traces in the wood flooring. His face scrunches.

“I need to clean this, and the ones in the woods too,” Frankenstein shakes his head in exasperation. “The hunters might find out a wolf has entered my house.”

“Right, about that,”

Frankenstein turns to the man with the red hood. “Raizel! Long time no see.” He gives Raizel a friendly hug, to which the latter reciprocates.

Raizel immediately pulls back when he remembers that he has questions. “Frankenstein, are you tending to a wolf? I saw an injured one in the bedroom—”

The doctor’s eyes go round as he rushes to the said bedroom. His mouth goes agape seeing his patient on the floor.

“M! What happened?” Frankenstein rushes to the gray wolf’s—M’s—side and lets out a gasp as he notices the the injured leg is bleeding and no longer bandaged, “Your wounds are open again!”

He spares no wasted time going through a cabinet in the same room for a medical kit and tend to the wounds. Occasionally the wolf flinches when the doctor applies some antibiotics. Raizel stands next to the door, watching whatever Frankenstein is doing to the wolf’s leg.

After he’s done, Frankenstein lifts the wolf by the knees and back.

“Wha—don’t carry me like this!” M strangles Frankenstein’s neck lightly as a protest.

“Then how you want me to carry you? On my shoulder like I’m kidnapping you?”

“No…” M turns his face away as Frankenstein puts him on the patient bed he just slept on before.

Frankenstein sighs, “Just stay like this for now. Your wounds are quite severe, you need time to heal,” to which the wolf replies with a nod. The blond man takes some steps back so both Raizel and M are in vision. “Alright, what happened here?”

“He attacked me. I only defended myself,” Raizel quickly answers, not wanting to be blamed by the doctor. Frankenstein glances at M, demanding an answer.

“Yeah, I did,” M says as he glares at the red-eyed man. “I thought he was a hunter. You can’t blame me.”

Frankenstein let out a sigh then glanced at Raizel, “At least you’re not hurt by M.”

The tailed man growls.

“And M, he’s not a hunter. He’s my friend, Raizel.”

“Right. Whatever.”

The doctor tells the wolf to rest up, something that the latter wishes he doesn’t have to do; he complains that it’s boring to stay still in bed. Leaving some light meal and drink on the bedstand in case the wolf gets hungry (and bored), Frankenstein leaves M alone as to not disturb his rest. In the parlour, he delightfully unpacks what Raizel has brought him, and he decides to share it with him while waiting for the rain to subside.

“The hunters you’ve mentioned before,” Frankenstein pours some wine to both his glass and Raizel’s, then glances to his guest, “what are they hunting?”

Frankenstein raises an eyebrow, as if telling Raizel that the answer is obvious. “Wild animals?” he says as he and Raizel toast and sip the drink.

“And you … saved that wolf from those hunters?”

There’s a second of silence.

“Wolves aren’t the ones these hunters are hunting,”

Frankenstein takes the bottle and pours some more into his glass.

“But the wolves hunt humans.”

“That’s what people said. It’s actually not true.” 

Raizel frowned upon what he has heard. “What do you mean?” Is Frankenstein saying that people in the town lied? Raizel always knows and keeps in mind that wolves are dangerous. Sometimes they hunt humans because they eat mostly meat. He heard that the human-shaped ones do eat plants too—even he heard that they cook their meal like humans. But the fact that they still have wolf instinct means they might, and probably will if they have the chance, hunt and eat humans. This is why Raizel is sometimes worried about Frankenstein living in the forest.

“They don’t hunt humans. They still hunt wild animals, but not humans. Just like us, hunting the wild animals but _not_ wolves. In fact, they stay away from humans unless the humans cause harm to their … species, if you want to call them that.”

“But there are actual victims, the news keeps spreading.”

“Ah.” Frankenstein tilts his head to the side, “The victims which number keeps increasing in the past few weeks?”

Raizel nods.

Frankenstein lets out a condescending giggle, “And you’re so sure the ones behind it are wolves, why…?”

“They hurt us first.”

Raizel and Frankenstein promptly turn to the direction of the bedroom. M’s standing by the doorway, his injured leg limps.

“I told you to lay down!” Frankenstein grumbles as he rises from his seat. He mutters something about M possibly letting his leg bleeds and the wounds open again, while Raizel stares at the wolf with unreadable expression.

M struggles to free himself as Frankenstein’s about to lift him back to the bed. With how strong and bigger Frankenstein is, he yells at Raizel’s direction, “I don’t know why the humans are hurt, but our kind never hurt humans first!”

Raizel glowers, “So you’re saying that humans are the first ones who hurt you wolves?”

“All right all right, let me be the one who tell him that, okay? Now go back to sleep or I’m going to lock you in this room until you recover for real.”

As Frankenstein ‘helps’ M gets back to the bed while the wolf stubbornly rebels (and fails), Raizel stares at the closed door in cold bewilderment. Raizel understands that human-shaped wolves are different from the wolves he usually sees (besides the obvious shape difference), but wild creatures are wild creatures. They are dangerous. There’s a reason why Raizel brought his sword today.

But, just like before, he feels like the wolf wasn’t lying.

“You saw his wounds, right? The ones on his leg?”

Raizel nods at the question.

“He’s caught in a trap. I found a lot of them further in the woods.”

Deep red eyes widen. So that’s what caused the torn injuries on the wolf’s leg.

“What are they for?”

“Trapping wild animals. The hunters set them there.”

Frankenstein then begins to explain this new method local hunters use to hunt, as Raizel just visits the town after a long time. They put traps in the woods to catch animals. Rifles are noisy, so when shooting an animal, other animals who heard of the gunshot will flee. So, despite keeping a rifle, some hunters start putting traps in the woods. He then complains how sometimes these traps are blocking his way into the woods to collect herbs and other useful plants and fruits.

“Even some doctors here complain that it’s harder to collect herbs because of the traps,” Frankenstein shakes his head, “They’re forced to pay more to people whom they hire to collect herbs because the job gets more dangerous than before.”

“And the wolf caught himself in one of those traps.”

“Yes. Ugh, that, too…” Frankenstein sighs for the umpteenth time. “Those hunters don’t even care if wolves get caught in the traps, as long as it doesn’t kill them.”

Raizel hummed in understanding.

“I appreciate you telling me all this, because I’m going to stay in this town for a while.”

“No problem, I’m—wait, what?”

Raizel are now looking at the wide-eyed doctor who stands in shock, “I’m staying for a while. In the town.”

“What’s the occasion?”

The man scratched his cheek, “Vacation?”

The doctor gives him an unimpressed look.

“I have my reasons. I won’t bother you too much, don’t worry.”

“Keeping secrets now, are we?” Frankenstein sits back with an amused huff, “Did you come here alone?”

"Yes.”

“As expected of the runaway young prince.”

Raizel glares at the blond over that remark. “I’m _not_ running away.”

* * *

The rain hasn’t stopped and it’s getting darker outside. Frankenstein assumes that the rain won’t stop until night, so he tells Raizel to stay for the night and readies a room for him, to which Raizel is grateful for.

“I’m going to prepare dinner, would you mind doing me a favor, Raizel?”

Raizel perks his head up. “Sure, what is it?”

“Please wake M up, it’s dinner time and he might be hungry now.”

Frankenstein hears no response, so he turns around at the other man.

“Hey, don’t give me that face,” The doctor chuckles at Raizel’s slightly irritated face. Frankenstein’s probably one of only few people who can read the raven-haired man’s poker face. “Just think of it as a way to make up with him.”

“Why should I?” Raizel curved his lips in displeasure, “It’s not like I’ll meet him again, anyway.”

“Oh, why do you think that?”

“Because he’s a wolf and I live in the town.”

“Except when you’re visiting me,” said Frankenstein, stirring the soup he’s cooking. “He visits me a lot.”

Raizel stares at the back of the doctor in disbelief. “Why?”

“Reasons. Also, sometimes he helps me collect herbs and other stuff.” 

Raizel sighs in exasperation. He can’t believe his friend now has acquaintanced a wolf. It’s still hard to accept when all this time he’s told to be wary of the wolves, even though they never hurt humans before the local news.

Raizel walks his way inside the bedroom. M’s napping peacefully, his chest rising and lowering in consistent rhythm. He stands there, putting the image of the human-shaped wolf in his mind. His hair doesn’t cover his face anymore, and Raizel can now see that the wolf doesn’t have human ears on the side; a strange sight which slightly put him off at first. The wolf ears are also relaxed. Another thing he notices that the wolf ears are … fluffy. They look really warm and full of fur. His tail looks even more fluffy. It lies just between the sleeping man’s legs.

Raizel pushes away the urge to touch it.

He’s now thinking hard how is he going to wake the wolf up, since they have quite a beef few hours ago. He decides to very creatively shake the wolf’s shoulder. “Mr. Wolf, please wake up. Frankenstein’s preparing dinner.”

Unexpectedly the wolf wakes up immediately. His eyes blink lethargically before he notices that it’s the man he attacked before who’s waking him up.

“What?”

“Dinner.” Raizel points to the kitchen with his chin.

The wolf’s ears flatten. “Are you saying that I have to go walk to the dining room in this condition?”

Raizel falls silent.

The wolf looks at the man unimpressed. "Why do you even bother waking me up?”

“Frankenstein told me to.”

“Ugh, that guy,” M scratched his head. “Go away.”

“I’ve come all this way to wake you up, yet you tell me to get out.” Raizel’s expression turns to faint disappointment, and the wolf cringes.

“What do you want?!”

Raizel doesn’t know why he even prolongs this unfriendly conversation with the wolf. Though, he must admit that this wolf is probably one of very few people who actually yells at him in his entire life. He’s not used to blatant hostility directed at him, yet he has to do Frankenstein a favor.

“Nothing. I’ll just tell Frankenstein to bring your dinner here, then.” Raizel says coldly as he leaves the room.

* * *

Raizel wakes up in the early morning. He takes a look outside; the sun is still hiding under the horizon, but the rain has stopped and the soil seems damp. The rain might just stop only a few hours ago. Raizel is grateful there’s no storm.

He tidies up his bed and walks outside. He sees the wolf in front of Frankenstein’s room. His ears tip to Raizel’s direction when he notices his presence.

At Raizel’s questioning stare, M speaks up, “What?”

“Frankenstein hasn’t woken up.”

“I know.”

Raizel eyes the wolf as he lets out a sigh and walks slowly to sit on the sofa in the living room.

“How’s your leg?”

“Huh?” The wolf seems surprised that he asks such a question. His ears twitch, yet soon become relaxed. The look on his face shows that he still has a disliking towards Raizel, although not as bad as in the previous day. His lips flatten before he answers, “It has healed, just not fully.”

Raizel nods. He saunters to the sofa as the wolf eyes him warily, his ears perk up and turn to his direction. He makes sure to not make fast movement so the wolf doesn’t feel threatened. He sits right on the seat across the wolf. The wolf frowned upon the unexpected gesture.

“Still, I think you shouldn’t walk too much.”

The ashen-haired man huffs, “Hmph. You’re worried now?”

“Yes. After all, I’m the one who made you move your leg too much yesterday.”

Raizel answers while he stares straight at the wolf’s wide dark pearly eyes. Raizel wants to show that he means what he said. He has let what Frankenstein said last night sunk in. He thought of the wolves’ point of view. They feel threatened by the hunters, and the traps don’t make it better. M was just being cautious, especially after he got his leg in the trap. He was vulnerable and tried to put up defence.

He also wants the wolf to see him in a good light. He seems to know Frankenstein personally, and Raizel doesn’t want to be an enemy of Frankenstein’s friend.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.”

The wolf blinks a few times. “Uhh,” He scratches his ear, “It’s fine. I was in the wrong, too, for suddenly attacking like that.”

“It is a misunderstanding, indeed.”

The wolf averts his gaze to the side. It focuses back on Raizel when he stands and walks to the kitchen. When he’s back, there are two glasses of water in his hands. He puts one in front of M.

“You might be thirsty.”

M stares at the glass, then back to Raizel who sits back. “Why are you…”

Raizel sips his water as he looks at the wolf.

“…being nice to me now?”

It takes Raizel a while before he replies, “It’s partially an apology, and partially a way to show you that I do not antagonize you anymore.”

“Huh. You’re the one who said wolves hunt humans.”

Well. Raizel still has that belief, but he’s willing to give them the benefit of doubt because of what Frankenstein told him last night. Frankenstein and this wolf know each other personally too…

“For now, I’ll put my trust in you and Frankenstein, regarding this matter.”

The wolf doesn’t say anything more after that, staring at Raizel, then to the window while sipping his water. His ears don’t tip to Raizel’s direction anymore.

It’s fascinating to Raizel how not only his face and whole body, but also his ears and tail are as expressive. He might haven’t seen much, but from when they talked to each other, Raizel noticed the movement of the ears; this reminds him when they first met each other, the wolf’s ears flattened to the point of almost sticking to his head, but now they’re pointing upward and out. They also tipped when Raizel spoke to him before.

It’s … cute, in a way?

Raizel shakes his head at the thought. It’s something normal for the wolves, why did he even think so?

“Also,”

The wolf’s gaze and ears are shifted to an open hand directed at him.

“I haven’t introduced myself properly. I’m Cadis Etrama Di Raizel.”

The wolf man blinks in surprise. He takes the hand.

“M.”

“…Just M?”

“What’s with it?”

“Nothing.”

Raizel eyes some old scars in the wolf’s hand. He wouldn’t notice them if he didn’t pay close attention, since they almost fade. The wolf probably got it from rough fighting with the wild, he guesses. Wild life for a wild creature.

“Also, your name is so long. I’ll just call you Rai.”

“Rai…” The crimson-eyed man repeats the nickname, huffing in mirth, to which M raises an eyebrow.

Raizel shifts to a more comfortable sitting position. His eyes are busy observing the wolf in front of him. Seems like the wolf’s doing the same to him.

“You seem to have questions,” Raizel says.

M clears his throat at Raizel’s remark. “So, you’re friends with Frankenstein?”

“Yes.”

“How long? I never saw you before.”

That’s exactly what Raizel thought of M, too. “You can say we’ve been friends for … years.”

The wolf’s ashen eyes widen. “No way.”

Raizel and Frankenstein indeed have been friends for years. Raizel doesn’t visit Frankenstein often because his hometown is quite far from this town that is Frankenstein’s. They occasionally send letters to ask how are they doing. That, until Raizel decides to live in this town for a while. But these details are not in immediate need to be said.

“How about you? I never saw you, either.”

“Well,” M scratches his head, “He found me when I was badly injured deep in the forest. He saved me, and now we often see each other.”

Raizel puts a hand in his chin.

“I sometimes help him collect herbs and other stuff in this forest.”

Raizel nods in understanding.

“Also, his tea and sandwiches are so good. He likes to make that as lunch and gives some to me.”

A few more nods from Raizel, this time more prominent.

Raizel makes a mental note to visit Frankenstein during lunchtime so he might be able to get a bite from those sandwiches.

A few moments later Frankenstein comes out of his room. His hair’s still somewhat messy and he’s still in his sleepwear. He abruptly stops a yawn when he notices the black-haired man, “Good morning, Raizel.”

“So you greet this guy only, now?” The wolf mutters, pouting.

“M! What the hell are you doing here? Your leg—”

“It doesn’t hurt as much as before anymore, okay?” M says as he tries to escape Frankenstein’s grasp again. Raizel holds in a giggle, letting out an amused sigh in the process. Frankenstein’s always protective to people whom he cares about, he has seen it himself. Which means he does care and is close with the wolf. They must have known each other when Raizel didn’t visit Frankenstein for a long time.

“Look, you bandaged my leg so tightly the blood stops flowing to my foot entirely.” The gray-haired man says as he points at his bandaged leg. Frankenstein shakes his head with an unimpressed look, “Bandages are supposed to be tied tightly, you know. Also, if you think that’s tight, you haven’t seen me tying up people.”

“I … might don’t want to see that, thank you.”

Raizel stands up, then turns to face Frankenstein, “I’m going back. Thank you for letting me stay here, Frankenstein.”

“Why so early?”

“I don’t want to bother you too much with my presence.” He puts on his sword belt, “also you’re busy.”

Frankenstein tilts his head in agreement.

After preparing himself to set out, Raizel waves the two a goodbye before pacing towards the entrance door.

And turns around.

His eyes are on the gray wolf for a while, long enough for the wolf to notice the length and scrunch his eyebrows. Then he disappears as he closes the door.

Frankenstein grins amusedly at the confused wolf.

* * *

(I didn’t draw scenes from this fanfic, but I have their initial designs drawn months ago. Raizel’s had gone thru some minor changes that you can see in other art of this AU on my Tumblr (or Twitter, if you're so determined to dig deep lel).)


	2. Chapter 2

Raizel had said that he won’t be visiting Frankenstein often out of awareness of the man’s busy schedule. So he decided to see him again at the next weekend when Frankenstein has free time, which is today.

As always, Raizel brings some cookies, light meal, and wine for his visit. Today’s a sunny day, so Raizel has no worry of rain making him stay for another night in his friend’s house.

Raizel knocks on the wooden door and it doesn’t take long until Frankenstein opens it, a slight surprised expression on his face. “Hey.”

“I brought food,” Raizel raises his arm where the food basket is.

“Great. But I’m just about to go out,” Frankenstein sighs as he gives a way for Raizel to go in, yet he doesn’t. He looks at the blond, “To where?”

“The river. Collecting herbs.”

Raizel puts a hand on his chin, thinking of joining him. Frankenstein takes the long coat from the hanger by the door, then turns to Raizel, “If you don’t mind waiting, stay here. Though I can’t be sure if I’ll be back fast.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“You will?” The doctor raises an eyebrow.

“I don’t want my trip here to be in vain.”

Frankenstein finishes buttoning his coat before replying, “Then I’ll bring extra sandwiches for you. We can eat there.”

Frankenstein’s sandwiches. Raizel remembers what the gray wolf said about it last week. Raizel tries to hold his excitement. “And this.” Raizel raises his food basket again, and Frankenstein nods with a smile.

They set out after Frankenstein packs his needs and lunch. The river from Frankenstein’s house is about 15 minutes of walk. That, if there’s no traps laying around in the forest… Raizel forgot about this, and Frankenstein gives him a heads-up to walk carefully. The trip ends up taking longer because they’re avoiding them—they’re not laid in plain sight and mostly are hidden in bushes. And there are a lot of bushes in the woods. This irritates the doctor.

“Damn traps; these hunters really only think about themselves.” Frankenstein complained with a hard look.

The first thing Raizel notices when they arrive there is that the river is wide and surrounded by a clearing with grass and mini plants—they’re probably the herbs, but Raizel’s amateur eyes can’t tell the difference. The water is clear and its flow isn’t too strong; he notices there are small fallen trees in the water, maybe that’s why. Frankenstein takes a sharp knife from his bag, then cuts the small plants skillfully.

Deciding that staring at Frankenstein cutting plants is a boring activity, Raizel brings himself to the riverbank, not too far away from the doctor’s location, but still far enough for him to not hear snipping sounds. He stays at a spot near where a tree lies in the river.

He bows, dipping the tip of his fingers in the water. He splashes the water towards some fish clustered together, then stands up; his red irises scan the entire area, indulging himself in the nice view and atmosphere.

His gaze stops at something … familiar and grayish peeking up from behind of the tree in the river.

Raizel walks closer to the tree and looks over.

“…M?”

The gray thing that turns out to be the wolf he met the other day turns his entire body in surprise, sloshing water around him.

“Y-you! What are you doing here?!” M quickly submerges himself to the neck, his ears flattening.

Raizel blinks in bewilderment. “Ah… Are you … taking a bath?”

The wolf grits his teeth. “Yes, and you’re _staring_.”

Raizel takes him hiding in the water as a cue that he’s trying to cover his unclothed body, but the water is too clear that it renders his effort futile to the point that Raizel can see his _entire_ body in the water almost clearly. He awkwardly blinks and tries to look somewhere else repeatedly, but his own vision betrays him and he feels his cheeks heats up a little. “I … can still see…”

M’s face turns red just like Raizel’s. “And you decide to keep staring? Look away, you shameless human!” The wolf aggressively splashes water towards Raizel, making him helplessly retreats further from the river bank. Raizel uselessly covers his body with his arms. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Please stop!”

“Then stop looking!”

“I’m not!” Raizel frantically looks away as he wipes his face with soaked sleeve. Then he realized that most of his clothes are wet. He sighs, his hands get busy taking off his red hood and squeezing any loose part of his shirt to get the water out.

He hears sounds of someone getting out of water, but he doesn’t bother to look. When he’s done with his fruitless effort to dry his clothes, he notices the wolf from the corner of his eye, already wearing pants.

Raizel wants to say something, but the wolf’s glare renders him mute. He can only stand still when the wolf approaches him, his damp fur jacket on his arm. His ashen irises are on his wet clothes, then he smirks. “Well, at least now we’re even.”

The taller man gives the wolf a scowl. Who would have thought that wolves have a sense of modesty? Most people see human-shaped wolves as animals, and wild animals don’t even wear clothes. He probably doesn’t want to see human-shaped creatures wearing nothing, though.

“I didn’t know someone’s bathing there,” Raizel opens his mouth with an excuse.

“And you had time to look away,” M brings his face closer to Raizel’s, “but you didn’t.”

Their faces stay close for a while, and Raizel finds himself staring deep at the silvery eyes. He feels there’s a lump forming in his throat. Neither of them breaks eye contact, and Raizel notices that the frown on the wolf’s face slowly dissipates.

“Anyway,” The wolf pulls himself away—Raizel releases a breath he didn’t realize was holding, “don’t make me attack you again. And you just wait for your clothes to dry off. The weather’s quite supporting for that.”

Raizel doesn’t know what to make of that threat. He eyes M who’s about to leave when a familiar voice calls for him.

“Raizel, I’m done picking herbs. Let’s have lun—why are your clothes wet?” Frankenstein says as his gaze’s on Raizel and his clothes; he looks visibly disheveled, appearance and expression wise. The blond’s distracted by the wolf approaching them.

“Hi, Doctor.” M casually waves to the taller man, not surprised at all that he’s also in the forest.

“You’re here, too?”

“I was just finished washing myself.” The wolf glances at Raizel, but doesn’t say anything more. Suddenly his eyes snap to the bag on Frankenstein’s hand when his nose catches a scrumptious smell.

Noticing that, Frankenstein grins, “Wanna join for lunch with us?”

M’s face lit up, his ears are straight up. “Will there be enough for all of us?”

“Sure. I actually brought more, in case I stumble upon you here. But uhh,” Frankenstein turns to Raizel, “are you okay with that? Might want to take that shirt off and dry it off.”

The man takes a look at himself, then sighs. “I might do that.”

The three of them sit themselves under a big tree, shielding them from the sunshine. Raizel though, not wearing his shirt, positioned himself so he’s basking in the sunlight. His shirt is hung with his hood, waiting to dry off. M doesn’t waste time and gobbles on his sandwich. Raizel stares at him dumbfoundedly.

“Someone’s pretty hungry,” Frankenstein says as he takes a bite from his sandwich.

M wipes his mouth, “Can’t not be hungry after someone stared at you bathing, can you?”

“Oh—what? So that’s why he’s wet?”

“M…” Raizel sighs desperately, “how many times should I apologize so you’re not mad anymore?”

“Over 9000 times.”

Raizel looks at M, blinking; the latter just pouts mockingly.

Frankenstein clasps his mouth, his eyebrows raised suggestively, “Raizel, you just met him a week ago, but now you did that? I thought you slipped to the river before.”

“I didn’t even know he was in the river—and please don’t look at me like _that_.”

The doctor giggles as his friend looks at him exasperatedly. From the way Frankenstein looks, Raizel has already guessed that the blond knows what happened, and he continues to eat his sandwich in surrendering silence. He notices from the corner of his eye that the wolf is focusing on finishing his sandwich, not even caring to respond on their conversation.

He tries to ignore the image of the undressed wolf that occasionally comes to his mind. Raizel shakes the thought away before blood raises to his head.

After going back to Frankenstein’s house, Raizel decides his visit is enough and he bids goodbye to the doctor. As he carefully walks through the woods and enters the city, he stumbles upon a place he always hates to see.

Raizel sighs as he looks away from the slave market. He’s always bothered by the fact that this town doesn’t even place the market in a more hidden spot, which means slaves are common around here. Some of the townsfolks even bring them out in the public. There’s always a pang in his chest when he sees their faces. They are devoid of expression and will, as if they’re already taken away by whatever awful things their owners and dealers inflict to them.

Raizel heard a dealer yells out a price; apparently a slave is being auctioned. As much as Raizel dislikes it, his pity and curiosity prompt him to see through the crowd and his eyes catch said slave inside a cage; her hands and feet are chained. The slave looks like she’s barely keeping herself awake with her frail look. He squinted sinisterly at the sight and paces himself faster.

Maybe next time he has to take a detour.

* * *

On his next visit to the woods, Raizel’s gaze catches someone laying leisurely on a tree branch.

“…Good afternoon, M.”

M peeks downwards to see the person calling him. “You’re here again?”

Raizel nods.

“A lot of free time you have there.”

Raizel opens his mouth, but closes it again and exhales, “You’re right, actually.”

M rolls his eyes, then grabs the branch he’s sitting on, swings under it, and lands right in front of Raizel. As M’s about to say something Raizel cuts, “But I’m here to see you, not Frankenstein.”

“What? Why?”

“I want to apologize for what happened the last time we met, so I brought—”

“Wait, wait, wha—” M steps back, his brows furrow, “holy shit, you think I was _that_ angry?”

Raizel blinks in confusion. “Well, you splashed me with water ferociously and even brought that up to Frankenstein, so I thought you were pretty mad.”

M’s lips twitch over Raizel’s remark, “Yeah, I was mad, but I meant it’s been days, sheesh! I’m not mad anymore.”

Raizel blinks, again. “Really? You’re not?”

“Nope.”

That makes Raizel smiles. “Okay, then… But I still brought this for you, so please take it.”

M glances at the food basket Raizel always brings with him when he’s visiting Frankenstein. “So, as an apology, you brought food … like always?”

“I bought food with more meat. I made some of them, too.” Raizel can’t hold a sheepish yet proud smile.

“This feels like bribery.”

“…But you said you aren’t angry anymore...”

M let out a smug chuckle when he sees Raizel’s brows scrunch. “I’m kidding. You’re fun to tease.”

He’s fun to tease? Well, that was something he didn't think he would like to hear from M. As a response to that, Raizel brings a hand to the wolf’s head and gently _scratches_ it.

It takes a short while for M to actually register what’s happening and pull away.

“W-what are you doing?!”

“I’m petting you,” Raizel replies flatly, “you’re … pretty cute to pet.”

“Huh? I’m not cute!”

“Yes, you are.”

“I am _not_!” M yells as if the word “cute” is the most offensive word in the world. “Are you mad that I said you’re fun to tease?”

Raizel can feel his own cheeks warming. “You are … for me.”

M frowns; he’s sure he heard something else. “What did you just say?”

“Nothing.” Raizel walks closer to the wolf. The latter has prepared a stance to block the human’s hand, but instead Raizel shoves him the food basket. “Just take it.”

M glances briefly at the basket he receives unwillingly then to the man who gave it. Raizel just nods.

“…Thanks… I can eat this now, right?”

“Of course.”

With that, M climbs up back to the tree branch he just sat on. The wolf checks out the basket and goes round-eyed when he sees the content. He looks at Raizel, then to the basket again.

“You … you must be rich.”

Raizel blinks at the statement, then smiles awkwardly, “Just … enjoy it.”

“…Want to join me here?”

Once again Raizel’s surprised at what the wolf said. Joining him there … does that mean he has to climb up the tree too?

“But I gave it for you.”

“This is too much even for me,” M tilts his head towards the basket, “c’mon, you haven’t had lunch, right?”

Raizel doesn’t know what to do when M holds out his hand to him. Even if he accepts the offer, the fact that he has to climb the tree just to eat with M sounds like too much of an effort, let alone climbing a tree without that many branches close to each other. And he doesn’t have claws.

But somehow his body goes against his mind—especially since that hand seems like it’ll give him assurance of reaching the big branch M’s sitting on. As Raizel almost manages to get ahold of the wolf’s hand with great effort, his foot slips from a small branch—

“Rai!”

M quickly catches Raizel’s hand—but the force of his fall outweighs M’s body strength to remain in his position, so both of them fall with M on top of Raizel.

“Oww,” The wolf whimpers, laying still as he process what just happened. He lifts his head to red eyes staring at him, slight pained expression on the owner’s face and himself. He feels a hand on his back.

“Are you okay?”

“I should be the one who asks that!” M pulls up and sits by Raizel’s side, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have offered you the stupid idea of eating on a tree…”

Raizel keeps silent as he sees the worry and guilt on M’s face. He holds out his hand to M’s head and pats it.

“It’s okay,” He says, slowly turning the pats into scratches.

M’s eyes round over that but he remains still until he breaks the silence, “Why are you doing this again?”

“To calm you down.”

“It’s unnecessary.”

He says, as he sits unmoving.

“…”

“…Stop.”

“You seem to like it…”

“Nope.”

Raizel slides his fingers behind M’s ears and M flinches. The red hooded man notices the wolf leaning to the touch before his silver eyes widen and he grabs his hand.

“Stop!” M grits his teeth; his look turns aggressive—Raizel swears he feels his heart skips a bit—then slowly becomes softer with what Raizel sees as … embarrassment?

“A … a wolf!”

Raizel and M turn to the source of the voice. There’s a burly man standing not too far from where they are—and he has a rifle on his back.

“What are you doing? Get your hand off of him!” He yells, pulling the rifle warily. M flinches at that—there’s no way he’d win against a gun. He raises up his hands in surrender, “I’m not doing anything to him, okay? Look, he’s not even injured!”

“Anything might happen if I don’t appear sooner,” The man aims the rifle at M, “Hey, young man. Step aside.”

Raizel gasps; he stands up frantically at the command and what it implies, “He’s right, he didn’t do anything. Please, lower your weapon.”

“Don’t be too nice to wolves. Do you know how many people that were attacked by them already?”

“You will go to jail if you kill an innocent wolf.”

“Ha! Innocent?” The man pulls his rifle and let out a mocking laugh. “’Innocent’ isn’t really an accurate word for wolves. Or are you defending them? You, a human?”

M grits his teeth threateningly, “We didn’t do _anything_.”

This is a pretty bad situation. Hurting a fellow human might get the man punished heavier than if he does a wolf, but it seems like the man has no intention to back down even though he’s standing in front of the wolf he’s about to shoot. Raizel grits his teeth. He does not want M to get hurt.

The man’s about to say something when someone pats on his shoulder.

“Hey, let us handle this. You can go somewhere else.”

Raizel raises his guard when two more people appear, yet he sees M becomes less tense.

“Aren’t you here to hunt something else? You can go now; I can take care of him.” The man who just arrived speaks as his gaze is directed at M and him. This man is tall and looks young. His long, purple hair that reaches knee-high really makes an impression on him. He also brings a rifle.

“You just came and want to get my prey? Know your place!”

“But you need to get those hunts for the butcher’s order, right? You won’t get paid if his order came late, you know?” Another man that came with the purple head says to the hunter. He’s noticeably shorter than the other man, and seemingly more easy-going.

The burly hunter flinches at the remark, “Err—shit, you’re right. I’ll leave that wolf to you, then!” With that sudden change of attitude, he rushes to the deeper part of the woods without giving M and Raizel a second look.

The two humans who just appeared eye him until he’s gone, and the shorter one approaches the other two.

“Are you okay, M?”

M lets out a huff, “I’m okay…” He turns to Raizel, “Are you alright?”

The ruby-eyed man nods.

“Aaand he is…?”

“He’s Frankenstein’s and my friend, Rai. And Rai,” M turns to Raizel, “he’s Tao and that one is Takeo,” he says, pointing to the long-haired man walking to their direction.

Tao takes Raizel’s hand for a shake. “Hello! Nice to meet another friend of Frankenstein and M!”

Raizel nods reluctantly, not expecting the sudden barge of boundaries, “Oh, yes…”

Takeo follows what Tao did with a friendly smile. As Tao asks M what happened before he arrived and M explains, Raizel’s mind is occupied with what M said about him.

_‘Frankenstein’s and_ my _friend?’_ He is M’s friend now? He didn’t mishear, did he?

Raizel unconsciously smiles at the thought. When he realizes he shakes it off, wondering how come hearing of him being friends of a random wolf makes him happy.

“Yeah, I’m going to deliver this to Frankenstein,” Takeo pulls up a long box he’s been carrying when he appeared earlier with care. Raizel stands there wondering what’s inside that package.

All four of them end up walking together to Frankenstein’s house. Fortunately the owner’s present there. He receives his package with delight and opens it. Raizel’s eyes widen seeing what’s inside.

“This is amazing,” Frankenstein holds carefully the classy-looking, brand-new rifle still laying inside the case. Takeo nods in proudness, “I promised you the best, so I delivered it.”

“As expected of the best weapon dealer in this city,” Frankenstein smirks at the other man.

Raizel’s been silent in the background ever since Frankenstein started unpackaging the box. He’s eyeing the rifle, the owner, and the dealer. M notices.

“You seem confused.”

Raizel looks at the wolf befuddled, “I … I don’t know Frankenstein uses rifles.”

“Oh, he does,” M’s lips form a side smile, “He asked Takeo to teach him.”

M translates Raizel’s stare as _why?_.

“Self-defense? He lives in the woods, after all. But also, he’s Frankenstein. He loves learning new things. And shooting just happens to be one of things he ends up liking.”

“…You know many things about him.”

“Not really. You just haven’t met him in ages.”

“I wish teleportation is a thing.”

That’s successful at making M laugh. Raizel glues his lips thin, internally regrets what he said. This wolf’s unexpectedly bold. First, he attacked him, now he laughed at what he said as if he’s a comedian. Traveling far away does make him meet new people who don’t know who he is, so they’re able to interact with him without restriction of being polite.

Done with embarrassing the red-hooded man, M clears his throat, “Well, now that you’re here, might as well get to know him more, or even other people.”

Well, there’s nothing wrong with knowing more people in a place far from his hometown. They could be allies, friends … _or someone else_ , he thinks as he’s looking at M.

Frankenstein cuts the conversation when he calls for M.

“You have to be more careful from now on, M. Those hunters … Tao said they might not prey on wolves, but with how they work now with both guns and traps, wolves in the woods might accidentally get shot or trapped.” Frankenstein pinches the spot between his eyebrows, “I thought this won’t get this dangerous, but I was wrong.”

M forms fists, his countenance shows anger even though he just had a light chat with Raizel, “Can’t you humans do something about it? Report it to the authority, maybe?”

Tao chimes in, “Honestly, as long as there’s no wolf killed yet, the authority won’t do anything about it.”

“What? Why?!”

“Because they only make a law to not kill wolves.” Takeo answers, dispirited, “Even if they’re badly injured because of a human, if they end up not dead, then the authority won’t do anything to that human. They only make such a loose law just because wolves have the same level of intelligence as humans.”

The only wolf in the room bares his fangs, “This is not fair. The woods are the place where we live. And we’re told to not hurt humans over this dangerous hunting method. How do you humans look at us wolves?”

No one answers to that question.

* * *

Tao and Takeo didn’t intend to stay long at the house, so they left first. M’s about to go back too but Raizel stops him by the entrance.

“What?”

“If you need help you can ask me.”

M raises his eyebrow. “Huh? Why do I need your help?”

“I…” Raizel trails off. His mouth opens and closes before he talks again, “I don’t know. This whole situation seems off.”

The number of human victims keeps increasing, even though wolves won’t attack humans first. Could be wild animals but the number is high enough to make the situation suspicious. More hunters place traps. The government pays no attention to it, deeming that their method is acceptable. Even a newcomer like him is able to sense that all of these are done on purpose. Maybe the humans are the ones more dangerous, after all.

M lets out a sigh, “I don’t know how can you help. Besides, even if I do need your help, how can I contact you? You’re in the town. I don’t go to the town.”

The taller man scratches his head upon realizing what M said. “At least tell Frankenstein and then we can help you.”

“Okay, but what help?”

“…That, uh…”

Raizel’s open mouth freezes as he tries to come up with any help M would need in this situation. A help he will probably need the most is a doctor treating his injuries in case he gets trapped in a trap again, or gets shot by accident when the hunters hunt animals. Raizel definitely will only be in the way instead of a help when the expert’s treating injuries.

He gazes at the wolf’s smoky irises staring at him, the latter expecting him to answer. He gives up and bring a hand to scratch the wolf’s head.

“ _This_ is the help that you meant? I don’t need it.”

“For emotional support.”

“Wha—why would … I…”

The wolf’s ears loosen up and—this is the first time Raizel sees it—his tail wags relaxedly. Seeing what he perceives as positive reaction towards the touches, Raizel lets his long fingers gently move on the wolf’s head. Raizel can’t hold a smile away. “You enjoy it, don’t you?”

The wolf pouts, embarrassed. “What can I do? I’m a wolf…”

Raizel chuckles, this wolf friend of his is cute. He moves his hand under the wolf’s chin and scratches it, “How about this area—”

“Not there! Ah…”

Raizel’s startled at the noise M just made, but still continue what he’s doing. He uses his other hand to scratch the head back—particularly behind M’s ears.

“…Damn it. If I end up falling asleep on your hands, it’s on you.”

“I don’t mind.”

The more Raizel rubs and scratches, the wolf leans more and more to him. Raizel finds it funny and cute at the same time. The wolf sees through half-lidded eyes, Raizel’s calm yet amused face. He gets pissed at it, yet still leans to the touch. At moments like this he hates his wolf instinct.

At a point M leans too much to Raizel that his hands can no longer hold the wolf’s weight and they slip; the wolf falls on his arms. Both of them gasp.

“Argh!” M quickly pulls away and takes a few steps behind, his face turns pinkish. “Th-that didn’t happen, okay?!”

“That definitely happened…” said Raizel, his cheeks are the same color as M’s. “You enjoyed it too much.” And so did he.

“That’s why I told you to stop!” M pulls his hair like a crazy man, “Because I know that will happen! Because wolves like to be pet!”

The human swallows in a giggle. The fact that M admits that wolves like to be pet is something Raizel finds surprising, especially coming from the stubborn M who keeps hiding it before. Is it something embarrassing for him? He wonders whether other wolves will be more open about it, but he only knows M. “But I’m okay with petting you.”

“Well I am the one who minds about it! What if I f … fall to you like that again?”

“…I’m okay if you fall to me like that, too…”

“No! It’s not okay for me!”

Raizel makes no effort to calm the upset wolf; instead finding amusement in how he doesn’t really intend to _be_ mad, but seemingly act like that. Well, he has to admit that he enjoys petting him, so Raizel hopes the wolf will still let him do that. “I said I’m okay with it so you won’t be embarrassed when that happens again. We’re friends, right?”

M stops pulling his hair and stomping on the ground at that statement. He stares at the human, then grumbles, “…B-but, still…”

“I won’t embarrass you even if you ask for more from me, too.”

That brings back the wolf’s unpleasant expression again. “Huh? Why would I ask for pets from you?!”

“You two aren’t going back, yet? So noisy.” Frankenstein shows up, reminding them that they’re still in his house.

“If only this guy doesn’t do anything weird, I would already leave.” M says as he nods at Raizel angrily, “Goodbye. I hope we don’t meet again.”

“See you later, too.” Raizel replies with a smile.

The wolf glares at him, then runs swiftly to the deep of the forest.

Next to him, Frankenstein releases an exhausted breath, “What did you do to him?”

“I just pet him.”

“Huh?”

“I scratched his head and chin.”

“…Does he like it?”

Raizel ponders for a while. “His expression shows displeasure, yet his body gestures said otherwise. I think he actually liked it.” He turns to the blond, “Did you never try to do it to him?”

“Ah, that never crossed my mind, actually.” Frankenstein lets out an amused laugh, then it dissipates quickly. “Anyway, he should be more careful with this situation. I’m honestly a little worried. You too, Raizel, since you sometimes visit us here.”

Glancing at Frankenstein’s serious countenance, Raizel can’t help but to be as worried. “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What could possibly be happening? HmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMM
> 
> Anyway, sorry no illustration this time, I really am not in the mood for drawing these past few weeks, though I came back to Genshin Impact so yeah HAHAH 
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you like the fic, kudos and comments are appreciated! ;;D

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you like it, kudos and comments are highly appreciated! ;;D


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